Rig Veda 9.44.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 44, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.44
- Rishi
- Ascription varies within Soma Pavamāna
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- To be verified for RV 9.44.2
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मती जुष्टो धिया हितः सोमो हिन्वे परावति । विप्रस्य धारया कविः ॥
matī́ juṣṭó dhiyā́ hitáḥ sómo hinve parāváti | víprasya dhā́rayā kavíḥ ||
മതികളാൽ പ്രീതനും ധിയാൽ സ്ഥാപിതനുമായ സോമൻ പരാവതിയിൽ—ദൂരവ്യാപ്തമായ വിശാല മേഖലയിലേക്കു—മുന്നോട്ട് പ്രേരിതനാകുന്നു; കവിയായ സോമൻ വിപ്രന്റെ ധാരയിൽ, ഒഴുകുന്ന ധാരയാൽ, പ്രചോദിത ദർശന-പ്രവാഹം വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- म॒ती
- two thoughts/insights (hymns, inspirations)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचन (Vedic: dual of ‘thoughts/insights’)Role Karma (हिन्वे का—जिसे प्रेरित/प्रवाहित किया जाता है) / सहायक-उपपद (सोमस्य स्तुति-रूपा)Root मती- (प्रातिपदिक; √मन् ‘to think’ से निष्पन्न भाव/कर्तृवाचक)
- जु॒ष्टः
- pleased, well-acceptedAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकृत् (कर्मणि/भावे) ‘pleased/accepted’Role Kartā-विशेषण (सोमः का विशेषण)Root √जुष् (to enjoy, be pleased) → जुष्ट (PPP)
- धि॒या
- by (sacred) thought / with devotionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole Karaṇa (जिस साधन/उपाय से—‘by/with thought, devotion’)Root धी- (प्रातिपदिक; √धी/√ध्या ‘to think, meditate’)
- हि॒तः
- set/established, well-disposedAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; सोमः का विशेषणRole Kartā-विशेषण (सोमः)Root √धा (to place) → हित (PPP; ‘placed, set, established’)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (हिन्वे का कर्ता)Root सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिन्वे
- Root √हिन्/√हिव् (Vedic) ‘to impel, set in motion, drive’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, cherished by the thoughts and placed by intelligence, is impelled in the far-extended region; by the stream the poet-seer increases the inspired one.
Inner meaning
When our thought-formations (matī) consent to the delight (Soma) and the higher intelligence (dhī) establishes it, the Ananda-force is driven into the wide field (parāvat) of greater consciousness. Its streaming current becomes a channel that intensifies the vipra’s inspired vision and utterance—poetry as revelation.
Universal truth
Delight becomes transformative when embraced by thought and founded in discernment; then it carries consciousness into wider ranges and amplifies inspiration.
Themes
Soma as seer (kavi), Inspiration and thought-offering, Wideness/far realm
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma tradition (specific ṛṣi for RV 9.44.2 to be verified)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.44.1, 9.44.3, 9.44.4
Family tradition
Mandala 9 Soma seers
Significance
Highlights the Vedic psychology of faculties: mati (mind-forms), dhī (illumined intelligence), vipra/kavi (inspired seer). Soma is the delight-force that coordinates and uplifts them into the ‘far’ wideness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Kavi (seer), Pavamāna, Juṣṭa (beloved/accepted)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (stream of inspiration), Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Essence-force that, when rightly placed by dhī, carries beings into wider worlds (parāvat) and nourishes revelation.
Inner power
Ananda as intuition-awakener: it turns thought into luminous formation and makes speech a streaming of vision.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration hymn (Pavamāna)
म॒ती जु॒ष्टो धि॒या हि॒तः सोमो॑ हिन्वे परा॒वति॑ । विप्र॑स्य॒ धार॑या क॒विः ॥
म॒ती । जु॒ष्टः । धि॒या । हि॒तः । सोमः॑ । हि॒न्वे॒ । प॒रा॒ऽवति॑ । विप्र॑स्य । धार॑या । क॒विः ॥
matī | juṣṭaḥ | dhiyā | hitaḥ | somaḥ | hinve | parāvati | viprasya | dhārayā | kaviḥ
48
4 × ~12 syllables
Measured, flowing, didactic; emphasizes ‘placing’ and ‘streaming’.
Stabilizes the mind while encouraging a sense of forward movement into wideness.
- matī
- Literal: thoughts, mental formations. Symbolic: constructed mind-movements that can consent to higher truth
- juṣṭaḥ
- Literal: cherished/accepted. Symbolic: made harmonious with aspiration; consenting receptivity
- dhiyā
- Literal: by dhī (insight/intelligence). Symbolic: illumined discernment that can place the right force
- hitaḥ
- Literal: placed, set. Symbolic: established in the being as a stable power
- hinve
- Literal: is impelled/urged. Symbolic: set into dynamic movement for transformation
- parāvat
- Literal: far region, distance. Symbolic: the wide and higher field of consciousness beyond the ordinary mind
- dhārayā
- Literal: by the stream/current. Symbolic: by a sustained flow-channel of Ananda
- kaviḥ
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: the intuitive faculty that shapes revelation; Soma itself as seer-force
Used in Soma pressing/purification sequence; supports the idea of Soma ‘urged onward’ through the pavitra toward offering and divine reception.
During Soma pressing/straining; also as stotra in Soma sequences
Chanted as Soma flows, affirming its placement and onward urging
For creatives/meditators: chant to align thought (mati) with insight (dhī) so inspiration (kavi) becomes a steady stream rather than bursts.
√juṣ ‘to enjoy, be pleased with’ → juṣṭa: Soma is ‘accepted’ by matī (thought-energies) when they become offerings rather than restless discursions. √hinv ‘to impel, set in motion’ → hinve: Soma is not static; he is a dynamis. dhī (from √dhī ‘to think/see’) in Vedic often means vision-intelligence; thus dhiyā hitáḥ = ‘set by insight’ (installed in the right place by inner discernment). parāváti: ‘far-ness’ becomes symbol of the supramental/wide domain where Soma’s movement is perfected.
dhī (illumined intelligence), inspiration (vipra/kavi), Ṛta as correct placing (hita) and right impulsion (hinve)
Right placement (hita) and right flow (dhārā) are expressions of ṛta in consciousness.
Dhī establishes Soma in truth-clarity, preventing delight from degrading into desire.
The ‘far region’ suggests higher worlds/planes opened by purified essence.
Integral-Vedāntic reading: ascent to wider planes via Ananda and dhī.
Dhārā is the subtle channel of continuous practice (abhyāsa) through which delight nourishes intuition.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘kavi’ (seer) who is propelled through the far realm and whose stream empowers the vipra. Mythically: the pressed Soma becomes a conscious, seeing flow that carries inspiration; psychologically: delight-essence awakens seerhood in the human.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- kaví- ‘seer/poet’ is an Indo-Iranian cultural keyword; dhārā ‘stream’ (from √dhṛ/√dhār ‘hold/flow as held line’) shows the ‘held continuity’ metaphor common in PIE poetics. √juṣ relates to Indo-European pleasure/acceptance semantics (though direct PIE mapping is less transparent than √bhṛ).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi’s matī and dhī collaborate: thought offers itself (matī juṣṭa), insight places Soma rightly (dhiyā hita). Soma reciprocates by becoming kavi and by strengthening the vipra’s inspired current—transforming the poet’s mind into a channel of vision.
Unify mind-forms with insight: allow thoughts to become consenting vessels for a calm delight; then rest in a steady intuitive stream.
Ājñā (dhī/insight) with support from Anāhata (sattvic delight)
Slow, even breathing; mentally place Soma at the heart on inhale (‘dhiyā hitaḥ’), let it stream upward on exhale (‘dhārayā’).
Quiet, lucid receptivity; intuitive wideness.
Before chanting, set an intention: ‘May my thoughts consent to truth.’ During repetition, notice any excitement or craving and let ‘pavamāna’ cool and clarify it into steady joy.
Use svara-marked Śākala text for exact accents; maintain clear long vowels (dhiyā, parāvatī).
Keep pāda breaks distinct; let ‘dhārayā’ be slightly sustained to evoke streaming.
matī: long ī, juṣṭaḥ: retroflex ṣ; final ḥ light, dhiyā: ‘dhi’ aspirated; yā long ā, parāvatī: long ā; v soft; t dental, viprasya: crisp ‘pr’, dhārayā: long ā; ‘ry’ smooth, kaviḥ: short a; final ḥ light
Even, clear, contemplative; minimal vibrato.
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